Connections
by xxrubywolfxx
Summary: AU. Piper is an undercover cop whose mission is to find the leader of a drug cartel, Luke Vause. What happens when Piper meets Alex, Luke's daughter and the heir to the cartel, and falls in love? Will Piper turn her in, or will she risk everything to protect the woman she loves? Rated M for drug use, language and future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

A.N: Wow! I haven't written anything for FanFiction in a really long time. I had this idea for a story, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to just make a story, or make a fanfic out of it. The idea seemed to work as an AU Orange is the New Black, so that's what I'm going to try to do.

Disclaimer: Oitnb is not mine, therefore certain character names and places are not mine.

Chapter 1

Alex's POV

Alarms blaring, I run as fast as I can. I have to get out of here, I can't get caught, not again. I bolt out of the store and I see lights flashing a couple blocks away. Shit. I turn the other way and take off down the street, making a sharp left into an alley. It's so dark I almost run into a fence, blocking off the rest of the alley. I can't stay here, I'll be caught. I climb on top of the dumpster, my gloved hands almost slipping. I should probably lose those now. I peel off the skin tight gloves, dropping them into the can as I prepare to climb over the fence.

Once over the fence, I run to the end of the alley, looking around before coming out into the open. It seems to be some sort of parking lot. I don't see anyone around, so I continue running until I'm through the parking lot and back onto the street. It's not too far now. I duck under some caution tape and find my way through bushes to an abandoned warehouse. There's no way in on the ground, so I climb the ladder and go in through the roof entrance, after checking that I wasn't followed.

"Yo Lex, how close do you have to keep coming to being caught! I told your ass you need to be more careful," a voice comes out of the darkness. It's Big Jim.

I turn to face him, taking off my mask, "I know, there was some serious loot though!" I retort. "I think it was worth it. Anyway, how's business going?" When I was 16, my father passed away, and I inherited his business. What is it, you ask? An international drug cartel. Yes, I, a 17 year old girl, run a drug cartel. I'm not all by myself, of course. I have Big Jim and the rest of the goons, as I like to call them. They treat me pretty well. Anyway, my dad left me his cartel, and now I make sure shit gets done. I'm also a bit of a trouble maker on the side.

Jim tries to get me to go to school, so that I'm not too suspicious. And I go… most of the time. I got called down to the principal's office for truancy. If a parent or guardian doesn't sign off on my note, then there could be a police follow up. I haven't told Jim because last time, it was fake. They were just trying to get him to sign stuff, but the police weren't actually going to get involved. Who cares anyway? I don't really need school; I already have a steady source of income. I don't need to learn how to add and subtract, multiply and divide; I don't need to know the slope of a line or anything else. I have people to do math for me, my guys count the money up, and I make sure nobody pockets anything they shouldn't. History is useless, why do I care about Mesopotamia, or Ancient Egypt; knowing the first through forty-fifth president doesn't matter. I know how to sell drugs and how to make people sell drugs, and if they don't answer to me, Big Jim will make them.

Jim tells me that we have a new customer, a girl I found in a club, she was looking to explore. We smoked pot together and it was her first time. Right now that's all she buys, but she said she'll probably try something else eventually. That's typically what happens, that's why marijuana is often called a gateway drug. To be 100% honest, I don't give a rat's ass about what happens to the customers, as long as they don't overdose. I give them my warnings and only sell a certain amount per week, but if they don't follow it, that's not my fault. As long as they're loyal customers, I'm fine with that.

I sat myself down and began looking over the numbers of today's sales. We're making good money right now. That's the thing, I have a lot of money, but I don't flaunt it. People would just assume that I have the average amount of money, based on the way I dress. I pick up my bag and begin looking through what I got. Sirens are still blaring in the distance, police looking for the masked robber from the jewelry store on 14th street.

Piper's POV

Alarms blaring, I lay face-down in the cafeteria, hands over my ears. Someone tried to escape, again. Looks like there's another inmate going to Max. I hear some officers threatening to give shots to inmates that won't get down. Typical day here at the Litchfield Penitentiary. I just wanted to get lunch, this shit is getting annoying.

People think that I'm in here for tax evasion and that I'm just trying to pass my five years of time. I'm actually not in prison at all. Well, I'm not actually serving time. I'm an undercover cop trying to bust drug crimes. Not even the warden knows that I'm not serving time in here. I'm constantly worried that I'll get busted for something I didn't do and end up with real time to serve. I always have to lay low and play it careful, watching who I talk to and what I do. Once I get the information I need to, I'll be out for "good behavior" before the 5 years are up.

My supervisor believes that people within the prison have something to do with an international drug cartel run by a man named Luke Vause. Luke has avoided the police for years somehow, and the hope is that once we find people who work for him, or associate with him in anyway, we can get them to lead us back to him and finally take down the cartel.

The alarms stop ringing, and the guards tell us we can all get up and proceed with what we were doing. I make my way over to the line for dinner. This food is slop, but it does the job when you're hungry. As I'm in line, Galina Reznikov, often called Red by the other inmates, leans over the counter, "I hear you've been asking about Luke Vause," her Russian accent thick in my ear, "you don't know what hole you're digging for yourself. You need help from someone on the inside. Meet me by the showers before breakfast tomorrow morning." Red shoves the food in my hand and yells "Next!"

I make my way back to my seat wondering what she could've meant by whatever she said about hole-digging. Does she have something on Luke? Does she have something to do with him? Was she in the Russian Mafia? Seriously on that last one though, most people are wondering about that. Anyway, I think I should see her tomorrow to find out what she needs to say.

The rest of the day ends up being uneventful, aside from a fight, resulting in shots for the participants. No more alarms, making it a pretty quiet night, for prison at least. I lay in bed after curfew was called, and we were all counted for, mentally adding another tally mark. Six months down, four and a half years to go.

The next morning

Piper's POV

It's about 5 a.m and almost everyone is asleep. I grab a towel and fresh clothes, careful not to wake Yoga Jones, my bunk mate. I found out that she had stuff to do with marijuana when she was still a free woman, but I don't think she's cartel material. She was her own grower, if that's what you'd call it, and seems too relaxed and soft to sell internationally.

I make my way to the showers, checking that no one else is awake and that I'm not followed. Once in there, I look around for Red. Not seeing her, I make my way over to a bench on the wall, and when I turn around to sit, I see her. "Shit!" I jumped, "I didn't hear you come in, Red."

"They never do," she replies, giving off an eerie vibe. Seeming to shake herself out of whatever happened, she says "I'll turn on a shower to create some noise so we're not overheard." Red makes her way over to the closest shower, opening the curtain and turning on the water. The steam begins billowing out of the stall until she closes the curtain and then it comes out the top.

"As I said yesterday, I heard that you're asking about Luke Vause."

"I might be. Where did you hear this." I reply, trying to act like I'm not a little bit intimidated. Easily intimidated, bad quality of a cop, I know.

"Don't play this act with me. You aren't tough. People talk, it's a women's prison, no one can keep their mouth shut. Also, Vause is a pretty big name. He runs an international cartel, which I'm sure you already know. Well, I think you should stop looking for him." Red looks at me, waiting for me to say something. Her eyes are waiting for me to ask a question, but the rest of the face she's giving me, lips drawn into a tight line, corners almost turned up in a smile tells me that if I do, I might get into trouble for what I find. Almost like a mother catching her kid in the act of a wrongdoing, semi challenging the child to continue what they're doing, knowing that a punishment waits on the other side. All actions have consequences.

I decide, against my better judgement, to ask anyway. "Why should I not look for him?" Red continues looking at me, before taking a deep breath.

"Chapman, Luke Vause is dead." I look at her, disbelief written all over my face.

"How do you know this? The police have been looking for him for years. There's reason to believe that his cartel is still up and running. How could that be possible?"

"Simple, he has a daughter. She spent most of her life with her mother." I wonder how she has all of this information. Maybe she's the connection I'm looking for, either giving true information because she has it, or false information because she wants to throw me off. "And I know it, because I had to get into prison somehow, didn't I? If you have any more questions, you know where to find me. I need to get started on breakfast, Officer Chapman." With that, she stands up and walks out of the bathroom. I am completely dumbfounded. How did she know I'm a cop? Was she bluffing? Did she really kill Luke? Was she part of the Russian Mafia? I really need to ask her.

I take a quick shower and make my way to the cafeteria for breakfast. While I'm in line and at the table, Red continues to stare, and I avoid her gaze. I finish eating and one of the officers come up, telling me that Caputo wants to see me.

Once in his office, I see that a few other inmates are there, and he informs us all that the police are doing a new program to try and keeps kids in school and out of trouble.

".. And Piper, the kid being paired with you is Alex Vause." Vause? That can't possibly be Luke's kid, right? How popular is that name?

AN: I promise I won't typically put 2 in a chapter. This is my first shot of writing a story like this, so constructive criticism is well appreciated. Sorry if it's kind of short, my writing is typically concise and length can be difficult. Hopefully another chapter will be on the way soon, if people like this.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Still not mine, I'd have a lot more Piper and Alex time if it were

Chapter 2

Alex's POV

"Okay, she'll be there." Big Jim hangs up the phone, looking at me like I did something wrong. "Come on, Lex, why didn't you tell me you were missing a lot of school? Your principal said that a paper was sent home with you for me to sign. Where is it?"

I walk over to the section of the warehouse that I have separated for myself. I have an island bed, pretty much the top bunk of bunk beds, with a desk and chair under it. My school bag is lying next to the ladder to get up top. I open the bag, rummaging through a few papers, until I find the one Jim wants crumpled at the bottom. I walk back out, handing the paper to him.

"And why didn't you give this to me before? You could be in a lot of trouble. Do you know what they're making you do?" I shake my head. "The police are starting this new program where delinquents like you, that always skip school, and get in trouble with the cops, have to shadow a prison inmate for the day. Maybe this'll teach you not to get caught doing dumb shit."

I'm at a lost for words. Shadowing a prisoner? That seems a little extreme. Oh well, I guess I'll get through it, if I just do what the police want, then maybe they'll lay off me for a little bit. "A real inmate?" I question, the idea still sounding strange.

"Yes. They said her name is Piper Chapstick or something like that. She's not dangerous or anything. Just tax evasion, what danger," Jim mocks horror, "I'll drive you to the precinct in the morning." I nod at turn to walk away, before we stops me. "Also, nice work not leaving anything behind at the jewelry store last night, they have no leads."

I head back to my room to grab my bag, deciding that maybe I should go to school today.

Piper's POV

I sit in my bunk, still thinking about the kid that's been paired with me. According to Red, Vause has kid. He's also dead according to her. Maybe I can get answers from her. If she's the leader of this cartel she'd be more than happy to try and bring drugs to prisoners, right? I don't know why they assigned me to this job, I'm a rookie. I get that the police want me to prove myself, but with something this big? Focus Piper, Red isn't busy right now, I should talk to her.

I head over to Red's bunk and she looks up at me from her magazine. "I think Luke's kid is shadowing me tomorrow as part of a new program the police are doing. Her name is Alex Vause. Does the name ring a bell?"

Her face falters for a moment. Red looks around, making sure no one else could be overhearing. She pats the bed next to her, and when I sit, she leans over, saying softly, "Be careful mentioning his name around here, or mentioning that she's his daughter. A lot of people hated Luke Vause and if they know she's in his place, they'll destroy her before you get the chance to turn her in. Yes that is his daughter."

I look at Red, still wondering how she knows this. "How do you know I'm going to turn her in?" I ask.

"You're an undercover cop, trying to prove herself in the force by locating Luke Vause and taking down his cartel. You spent a long time asking around about him, getting no answers because everyone hates the man, but he covered himself up well. That, and I saw you talk to many police officers during visiting hours, they were out of uniform, but I definitely recognized them."

I look at her in shock, then worry. "Does anyone else know?"

Red shakes her head, "They're all too stupid. Just watch out tomorrow, and don't mention her last name. Warn the kid too, if you must."

I nod and exit her bunk quickly, pacing back to the other side of the room to my bunk. So Red thinks I should lay low, and make sure Alex does too. Something seems off, like Red might be in it for her own benefit. Why else would she help me? Anyway, this could finally be what I've been looking for. Alex Vause could be my key to this entire case, and if she is, that means that I can finally get out of this shit hole and back to my real life.

I lay down in my bunk, picking up a book and attempting to read. Too many thoughts swim through my head to actually focus. Maybe I should go take a shower, I seem to think the best in there.

I get up, the bed creaking and groaning, and grab a towel. The outfit I'm wearing is the cleanest one I have; Laundry day is tomorrow, so all of the other ones have been collected.

On my way into the bathroom, I'm stopped by Suzanne, "Crazy Eyes" is what the inmates (rightfully) call her. Suzanne looks me up and down, "Damn Dandelion, I been missin' on you!" Dandelion is the nickname she gave me, since I have blonde hair. "Where you off to? Taking a shower? I'd love to join you but it's almost 5:30 and 5:30 is dinner time. You should come! We can be first in line." She reaches for my hand, but I pull it back.

"Sorry, Suzanne, I really need to take a shower." With that, she looks at me blankly for a few seconds, then walks away. I shake my head, that woman is something else.

In the shower, I allow all of my half baked thoughts to fully form. Tomorrow could be my last day in here. I can finally get the promotion I've wanted. They'll finally see me as a real cop. The police force always undermines new recruits from the academy, but I'll show them that I mean business. I'll be able to get back out into the dating world. Wait. That's right, I haven't dated anyone in a while. Boy or girl. I haven't thought about it in some time, being busy with the case. Maybe I'll finally find _the one_ when this is all over. The one I'll settle down with and start a family.

 _I picture me and my future partner, in this fantasy it's a woman, and our two kids walking down the boardwalk. We're on vacation. The night sky is clear and there's a slight chill to the air, signalling the near end of summer. The kids go back to school soon and we wanted to do one last nice thing before the break ended. My wife and I are holding hands while the kids begin skipping and playing ahead, eager to get on rides and play some games._

The water turns cold and it pulls me out of my daydream. I sigh, shutting the water off. I reach out of the shower, the light steam billowing out of the small opening of the curtain that my arm is through, and grab my towel. I wrap it around myself and make my way over to the bench, drying myself off. Once dressed, I drop my towel off in the laundry bin and go to my bunk to brush my hair, before grabbing dinner.

Alex's POV

I can't believe I have to go to that prison thing tomorrow. I don't see how the cops think that this will do anything for me. They think that this'll scare me so that I don't want to go to prison and I'll stop being a hooligan, or whatever they call it. Little do they know how much actual law breaking I'm doing.

"Hey, Alex. How was school today? You know, since you actually went."

I roll my eyes, "It was fine. Just stupid classes that I don't need."

"Ya know, Lex, those classes might come in handy some day. Like math, for example. What about when you need to handle your money business?"

"Money business? That's what Robert is for," I point over to a chair on the other side of the room where a skinny man with glasses sits. "He counts all of my money. Plus he doesn't look intimidating, even though he has a black belt."

"You can't rely on other people forever, Alex. Your dad hired most of your people to help you out with certain things until you got used to the job and you could do it yourself."

"Okay well I still have time. I'll figure it all out. It's getting late, I'm gonna go get ready for bed and lay down. Good night, Jim."

"'night Alex."

A/N: okay I'm really sorry that I took so long to upload. I've had so much going on with work, then I had a vacation. Now I'm super busy with school starting back up and there are college apps and it's super stressful. I'll try and get another chapter done soon, hopefully.


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